Magnetic Forces

Challenge Problem Solutions Problem 1: A particle with charge q and velocity v enters through the hole in screen 1 and passes through a region with non-zero electric and magnetic fields (see sketch). If q < 0 and the magnitude of the electric field E is greater than the product of the magnitude of the initial velocity v and the magnitude of the magnetic field B , that is E > vB , then the force on the particle

a) is zero and the particle will move in a straight line and pass through the hole on screen 2. b) is constant and the particle will follow a parabolic trajectory hitting the screen 2 above the hole. c) is constant and the particle will follow a parabolic trajectory hitting screen 2 below the hole. d) is constant in magnitude but changes direction and the particle will follow a circular trajectory hitting the screen 2 above the hole. e) is constant in magnitude but changes direction and the particle will follow a circular trajectory hitting the screen 2 below the hole. f) changes magnitude and direction and the particle will follow a curved trajectory hitting the screen 2 above the hole. g) changes magnitude and direction and the particle will follow a curved trajectory hitting the screen 2 below the hole. Problem 1 Solution: f. When the particle enters the region where the fields are non-zero, the electric force is points upwards for a negatively charged particle and is greater in magnitude then the downward magnetic force. Both electric and magnetic forces are perpendicular to the particles velocity and the particle starts to curve upwards. The electric force is always upwards but the magnetic force changes direction as the particle moves along a curved

trajectory, so the direction of the force changes. It turns out that the magnitude of the force while the particle is between the plates is constant but does not point to a central point so the trajectory of the particle is not circular. Assuming that the time it takes the particle to cross the plates is smaller than m / qB , when the particle leaves the region between the plates the slope of the trajectory of the particle points upward, and so the particle will strike screen 2 above the hole. Because the fields in this region outside the plates are now zero, the force is zero so the magnitude of the force has changed.

Problem 2: The entire x-y plane to the right of the origin O is filled with a uniform magnetic field of magnitude B pointing out of the page, as shown. Two charged particles travel along the negative x axis in the positive x direction, each with velocity v , and enter the magnetic field at the origin O. The two particles have the same mass m , but have different charges, q1 and q2 . When in the magnetic field, their trajectories both curve in the same direction (see sketch), but describe semi-circles with different radii. The radius of the semi-circle traced out by particle 2 is exactly twice as big as the radius of the semi-circle traced out by particle 1.

(a) Are the charges of these particles positive or negative? Explain your reasoning. (b) What is the ratio q2 / q1 ?

Problem 2 Solution: (a)Because FB = qv B , the charges of these particles are POSITIVE. (b) We first find an expression for the radius R of the semi-circle traced out by a particle with charge q in terms of q , v v , B , and m . The magnitude of the force on the charged particle is qvB and the magnitude of the acceleration for the circular orbit is v 2 / R . Therefore applying Newtons Second Law yields mv 2 qvB = . R We can solve this for the radius of the circular orbit R= Therefore the charged ratio mv qB

q2 mv mv R1 = . = q1 R2 B R1 B R2

Problem 3: Shown below are the essentials of a commercial mass spectrometer. This device is used to measure the composition of gas samples, by measuring the abundance of species of different masses. An ion of mass m and charge q = +e is produced in source S , a chamber in which a gas discharge is taking place. The initially stationary ion leaves S , is accelerated by a potential difference V > 0 , and then enters a selector chamber, S1 , in which there is an adjustable magnetic field B1 , pointing out of the page and a deflecting electric field E , pointing from positive to negative plate. Only particles of a uniform velocity v leave the selector. The emerging particles at S 2 , enter a second magnetic field

B2 , also pointing out of the page. The particle then moves in a semicircle, striking an electronic sensor at a distance x from the entry slit. Express your answers to the questions below in terms of E E , e , x , m , B2 B 2 , and V .

a) What magnetic field B1 in the selector chamber is needed to insure that the particle travels straight through? b) Find an expression for the mass of the particle after it has hit the electronic sensor at a distance x from the entry slit Problem 3 Solution: (a) We first find an expression for the speed of the particle after it is accelerated by the potential difference V , in terms of m , e , and V . The change in kinetic energy is K = (1/ 2)mv 2 . The change in potential energy is U = eV From conservation of energy, K = U , we have that (1/ 2)mv 2 = eV . So the speed is

v=

2eV m

Inside the selector the force on the charge is given by

Fe = e(E + v B1 ) .
If the particle travels straight through the selector then force on the charge is zero, therefore E = v B1 .
Since the velocity is to the right in the figure above (define this as the +i direction), the j electric field points up (define this as the + direction) from the positive plate to the negative plate, and the magnetic field is pointing out of the page (define this as the +k direction) . Then

E = v B1k = vB1 . j i j
So

B1 =

E m k= Ek v 2eV

(b) The force on the charge when it enters the magnetic field B2 is given by

Fe = ev B2k = evB2 . i j
This force points downward and forces the charge to start circular motion. You can verify this because the magnetic field only changes the direction of the velocity of the particle and not its magnitude which is the condition for circular motion. When in circular motion the acceleration is towards the center. In particular when the particle just enters the field B2 , the acceleration is downward a= Newtons Second Law becomes evB2 = m j v2 j. x/2 v2 j. x/2

Thus the particle hits the electronic sensor at a distance

x= 2mv 2 2eVm = eB2 eB2

from the entry slit. The mass of the particle is then eB2 2 x 2 m= . 8V Problem 4: particle of charge e is moving with an initial velocity v when it enters midway between two plates where there exists a uniform magnetic field pointing into the page, as shown in the figure below. You may ignore effects of the gravitational force.

(a) Is the trajectory of the particle deflected upward or downward? (b) What is the magnitude of the velocity of the particle if it just strikes the end of the plate? Problem 4 Solution: Choose unit vectors as shown in the figure.

The force on the particle is given by F = e v B = evBk . i j so the direction of the force is downward. Remember that when a charged particle moves through a uniform magnetic field, the magnetic force on the charged particle only

changes the direction of the velocity hence leaves the speed unchanged so the particle undergoes circular motion. Therefore we can use Newtons second law in the form evB = m The speed of the particle is then
v= eBR . m

v2 . R

. In order to determine the radius of the orbit we note that the particle just hits the end of the plate. From the figure above, by the Pythagorean theorem, we have that R 2 = ( R d / 2) 2 + l 2 . . Expanding the above equation yields
R 2 = R 2 Rd + d 2 / 4 + l 2

. which we can solve for the radius of the circular orbit: R= d l2 + . 4 d

We can now substitute the our result for the radius into our expression for the speed and find the speed necessary for the particle to just hit the end of the plate:

eB d l 2 v= + . m4 d

Problem 5: A copper wire of diameter d carries a current density J at the earths equator where the earths magnetic field is horizontal, points north, and has magnitude B earth = 0.5 10-4 T . The wire lies in a plane that is parallel to the surface of the earth and is oriented in the east-west direction. The density of copper is Cu = 8.9 103 kg m -3 . The resistivity of copper is r = 1.7 10 8 m . a) How large must J be, and which direction must it flow in order to levitate the wire? Use g = 9.8 m s -2 b) When the wire is floating how much power will be dissipated per cubic centimeter? Problem 5 Solution: At the equator, the magnetic field is pointing north. Choose unit vectors such that i i points east, points north, and k points up. Let J = J x (with the sign of J x to be j = B . . j determined), B
earth earth

Then the magnetic force dFmag on the a small volume of wire dVvol is dFmag = JdVvol B earth = J x dVvol Bearth = J x Bearth dVvol k . i j In order to balance the gravitational force this must point upwards hence J x > 0 ; the current flows from west to east in the wire. The total force on the small element of the wire is zero so 0 = dFgrav + dFmag = Cu dVvol g ( k ) + J x Bearth dVvol k . We can solve the above equation for J x :

Jx =

Cu g
Bearth

(8.9 103 kg m -3 )(9.8 m s -2 ) = 1.74 109 A m -2 Jx = -4 (0.5 10 T)

(b) Let A = (d / 2) 2 denote the cross-sectional area of the wire. The power dissipated per volume dVvol = Adl where dl is a unit length of wire is given by P I 2R = . dVvol dVvol . Let The current that flows in the wire is given by is given by I = J x A . The resistance per unit length dl is given by R = r dl / A . So the above equation becomes
( J A) 2 ( r dl / A) P = x = r J x 2 dVvol Adl = (1.7 108 m)(1.74 109 A m -2 ) 2 . = (5.2 1010 W m -3 ) 50 kW cm -3

The wire will get very hot!

Problem 6: The x y plane for x < 0 is filled with a uniform magnetic field pointing out of the page, B = 2B k with B > 0 , as shown. The x y plane for x > 0 is filled with a uniform
0
0

magnetic field B = B0 k , pointing into the page, as shown. A charged particle with mass m and charge q is initially at the point S at x = 0 , moving in the positive x direction with speed v . It subsequently moves counterclockwise in a circle of radius R , returning to x = 0 at point P , a distance 2 R from its initial position, as shown in the sketch.

a) Is the charge positive or negative? Briefly explain your reasoning. b) Find an expression for the radius R of the trajectory shown, in terms of v , m , q , and B0 . c) How long does the particle take to return to the plane x = 0 at point P ? d) Describe and sketch the subsequent trajectory of the particle on the figure below after it passes point P . Be sure to define any relevant distances in terms of v , m , q , and B0 .

Problem 6 Solution: (a) Because the orbit is counterclockwise the force F = qv B must point up when the j particle is at point S . The v B = vi ( B k ) = vB points up therefore the charge of
0 0

the particle must be positive in order for F = qv B also to point up. (b) The orbit is circular, so Newtons second Law becomes qvB0 = mv 2 / R . Thus the radius of the orbit is

R=

mv . qB0

(c) The time t P it takes the particle to complete a semicircular path from S to P is
tP =

R
v

m
qB0

(d)

When the particle is at point P , the force is still up because both the velocity and the magnetic field now point in opposite directions. Hence

F = qv B = v(i ) (2 B0 k ) = 2vB0 . j
Newtons Second Law is now 2vB0 = mv 2 / R2 . Hence the radius is now R2 = mv / 2 B0 = R / 2 .

MIT OpenCourseWare http://ocw.mit.edu

8.02SC Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism

Fall 2010

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